Foldable case, box, or container



1951 M. VAN CAPPELLEN FOLDABLE CASE, BOX, OR CONTAINER 2 SHEETSSHEET 1Filed July 16, 1947 INVEVTOR Z2116):

BY Ami/@541 M. VAN CAPPELLEN FOLDABLE CASE, BOX, OR CONTAINER Nov. 6,1951 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed July 16, 1947 Patented Nov. 6, 1951 Ui'i'EDSTATES PATENT orFlcE Application July 16, 1947, Serial No. 761,325 Inthe Netherlands April 12, 1946 Section 1, Public Law 690, August 8, 1946Patent expires April 12, 1966 2 Claims.

Foldable cases, boxes or such like containers composed of walls, bottomand if desired a lid which are hinged together, are already known in agreat variety of constructions.

The invention provides a novel construction which when opened out isvery strong and which when collapsed occupies little space, the case orbox being easy to handle when opened out for use.

According to the invention the case, box or the like comprises a frameto which the end walls have been foldably secured in such a manner thatwhen in the unfolded position they are perpendicular to the frame, alongitudinal wall being pivoted to either of the longitudinal sides ofthe frame, and to the free end of which longitudinal wall the bottom ishinged, with the bottom in its turn being hinged to the otherlongitudinal wall of the case, box or container, the end walls formingor comprising a groove adapted to receive the unfolded bottom andlongitudinal walls.

Such a construction has the advantage that the end-walls after beingunfolded are kept in.

which receives the unfolded longitudinal walls and the bottom so thatthey cannot sag down.

At the upperside the longitudinal walls and as a result the bottom arearranged to be locked in their relative positions by a lid hinged to theframe. When the lid is closed and fastened, its

front edge engages against the inside of the upper part of the frontlongitudinal wall to prevent inward swinging of the latter.

In the folded position the frame protects the walls from damage.

In order to obtain the space necessary for housing the foldedlongitudinal or front and rear walls and the bottom wall it ispreferab1e-especial1y when using somewhat thicker material--to constructthe hinge connection of the first or rear longitudinal wall to the framein such a manner that the end of said longitudinal wall secured theretomay move in vertical direction when folding the case. A suitableconstruction of said hinge connection is obtained by providing threehinge shafts, as will be described in detail hereinafter.

The end-walls are preferably so mounted to the frame that thecorresponding transversely extending parts of said frame extend beyondthese 2 end-walls, whereby handles are formed in a simple manner, whichhandles greatly facilitate the handling of the case.

The invention is illustrated hereinafter with reference to the drawing.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a case partly broken away andconstructed according to the invention,

Fig. 2 shows a transverse sectional view of the case of Fig. l with thefront longitudinal wall and bottom wall partly folded,

Fig. 3 shows a front elevation with the longitudinal walls and bottomwall entirely folded and v with the end walls partly folded,

Fig. 4 shows the hinge connection of the first or rear longitudinal wallwhen said wall is in its operative or unfolded position and Fig. 5 showsthis hinge connection in the position attained when the longitudinalwall and bottom wall are collapsed or folded.

The case which may be used for example for dispatching laundry consistsof a substantialy rectangular frame I preferably formed of light metaltubing to which lugs 2 and 3 are fastened. The lug 2 is slightly longerthan the lug 3. An end-wall 4 is pivotally connected to the lug 2 and anend-wall 5 to the lug 3. The end-walls each consist of a frame of lightmetal tubes having a plywood or other suitably rigid panel l4 fastenedto the outer surface thereof. Each end wall frame includes a pair ofparallel uprights, pivoted at their upper ends to the related lugs 2 or3, and a transverse connecting member extending between the lower partsof the uprights so that the uprights and transverse connecting memberdefine a retaining rim at the inside of the related end wall panel 14.

The lid 6 is secured to the frame by means of the hinges I. A hingeconnection, best seen in Figs. 4 and 5, is provided for hingedlyconnecting the longitudinal wall 9, that is, the rear wall, to theframe. The bottom wall II is secured to said longitudinal wall 9 bymeans of hinges l0, and the bottom wall in its turn carries thelongitudinal wall I3, that is, the front wall, by means of hinges I2. Aconventional clip l5 swingable on the front of the frame I for lockingthe lid 6 is also shown. When folding the case the front longitudinalwall l3 (see Fig. 2) is first turned inwardly and next turned upwardlytogether with the bottom wall ll, whereupon the rear wall 9 togetherwith the front wall l3 and the bottom wall H are turned upwardly aroundthe hinge connection to the frame.

The situation thus reached is shown in Fig. 3. Next the end-wall 5 isfirst turned inwardly and thereupon the end-wall 4, the latter coming torest against the outer side of the end-wall 5 owing to the lugs 2 beinglonger than the lugs 3.

If the hinge connection of the wall 9 to the frame would not have beenconstructed in a partioular manner, closing the lid 6 after collapsingthe box might present difficulties. To prevent this a hinge having twohinge shafts, is used, which construction is shown in the Figures 4 and5.

To the frame I a ring 8 is secured. Said ring changes into a hinge strap16 at the end of which there is a hinge H which again passes into ahinge strap 18. At the upper end of the strap [8 the hinge I 9 with thehin e-strap 20 is provided, to which last-mentioned strap the rearlongitudinal wall 9 is secured.

When collapsing the longitudinal walls and the bottom this hingeconstruction on the one hand admits of laterally giving way and on theother hand it causes the walls 9 and 13 with the bottom I! to bedepressed when folded together so that they do not extend above theframe I, which would prevent the lid 6 from being closed.

When the rear and front longitudinal walls 9 and l 3 and the bottom wall5 l are in their open positions (Fig. 1), the uprights and transverseconnecting members of the end wall frames engagev outside of the endedge portions of the walls 9, H and 3 to limit the unfolding movement ofthe latter. Further, the front or free edge of the hinged lid 6 engagesin back of the upper portion of the front wall when the latter isunfolded and the lid is closed so that the closed lid prevents rearwardswinging of the front wall [3 from its open position. The clip 55, shownin released position in Figs. 1 and 2, is swingable clockwise as viewedin Fig. 2 from that released position to a position overlying the frontof the lid '6 and the top edge of the front wall l3 to thereby resistupward movement of the latter and opening of the lid. The frictionalresistance to swinging movement of the clip l5 may be relied upon formaintaining the clip in lid closing position (not shown), or a padlock(not shown) may be associated with the lid 6 and clip [5 to provide amore secure closing.

Owing to the transverse sides of the frame I extending beyond theend-walls 14, two handles are formed by means of which the case caneasily be handled.

When the case is collapsed the frame I protects the walls surrounded byit from damage.

I claim:

1. A foldable box comprising a rectangular frame member, a pair of endwalls pivotally connected to respective opposite ends of said frame in amanner to be unfolded from positions parallel to said frame to positionsperpendicular to the frame and opposite to each other, an articulatedside and bottom wall member consisting of a side wall section pivotallyconnected to a bottom wall section that is in turn pivotally connectedto an opposite side wall section, said articulated member beingpivotally connected to one side of said frame intermediate the frameends to which said box end walls are connected in such manner that thearticulated member may be unfolded from a position parallel to saidframe to a position forming opposite side walls and a bottom wallintermediate the unfolded positions of said end walls.

2. A foldable box comprising a rectangular frame, a pair of end wallspivotally connected to respective opposite ends of said frame in amanner to be unfolded from positions parallel to said frame to positionsperpendicular to the frame and opposite to each other, each of said endwalls consisting of a framework having a pair of uprights and atransverse member connecting the lower end portions thereof which, whenthe related end wall is unfolded, respectively define the opposite sideedges and the bottom edge of the box outline at the related end of saidframe member, and a wall panel attached to the outer surface of saidframework with the framework within the box outline, an articulated sideand bottom wall member consisting of a side wall section pivotallyconnected to a bottom wall section that is in tiun pivotally connectedto an opposite side wall section, said articulated member beingpivotally connected to one side of said frame intermediate the frameends to which said box end walls are connected in such manner that thearticulated member may be unfolded from a position parallel to saidframe to a position forming opposite side walls and a bottom wallintermediate the unfolded positions. of said end walls, with the edgesurfaces of said side walls and bottom wall abutting the uprights andtransverse member of the framework of said end walls within the boxoutline.

MARIUS VAN CAPPELLEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,226,906 Neumerkel May 22, 19171,365,200 Shaw Jan. 11, 1921 1,663,649 Elkins Mar. 27, 1928 2,166,941Corbin July 25, 1939 2,424,665 Pope July 29, 1947 2,456,419 Jackson Dec.14, 1948

